I do not own Criminal Minds. My thanks to Dragonsmaiden for being my beta reader. Now the bad news, for reasons beyond my control and sanity, chapter 21 will be delay. My thanks for all who had signed me up for their favourite stories, favourite authors and story alerts. I cannot believe that I already have 50 signed for story alert. As usual, I welcome any and all reviews.Chapter #20

"What!" Reid exclaimed loudly and everyone in the hallway looked at the two agents.

Morgan lowered his hands in front of himself, "Keep your voice down. Hotch is talking to the police right now, trying to figure out what is going on. But at this moment, we are unofficially involved."

"Unofficially?"

"Kid, she is important to you and she was attack. You think we are going to stand here and do nothing."

"The shot," Reid said, remembering something.

"Excuse me," Morgan asked. Reid walked back into the room where Ashley was flipping through one of the magazines.

She looked up at him where he knew that she heard him earlier, "I'm sorry about that, but I just came to get my bag, I will be right back," he stammered as he set the folders and the shirt down on the dresser. He didn't want to tell her of what was going on just yet. He took his messenger bag with him, throwing it over his shoulder.

"When I was chasing him, he took a shot at me. With all of the excitement, I forgot about it," Reid explained as he walked down the hallway with Morgan following him.

"With my eidetic memory, I shouldn't have forgotten that," he said, stopping in his track making Morgan nearly collide into it.

"Kid, it's alright. You were more worried about Ashley," Morgan said, resting his hand on Reid's shoulder.

Reid pointed to the bullet hole in the wall when they arrived. Reid opened his bag and dug out the green latex gloves and a pair of tweezers.

"Show me where you were standing when it happened." Reid did what Morgan asked.

"And he was at the doorway when he fired?" Reid nodded. "Stay there." Morgan went to doorway of the stairwell where he looked back at Reid. He raised his hand up at Reid, shaping his fingers into a gun and pointed at Reid. Reid followed the projection and looked behind him, the unsub had missed him by at least two feet.

Morgan jogged up to him, "I had a clear shot of you, so unless he has lousy aim, I am willingly to bet that he missed you on purpose."

"Plus if he had the gun, why not shoot Ashley right then and there in her room," Reid asked. His stomach dropped and he suddenly wished he hadn't had breakfast.

"You know that either JJ or Prentiss is going have to questioned her, try to get her to remember the fire," he said. Reid nodded again.

"She needs to finish the story," he muttered to himself.

"Kid, are you going to be ok?"

He nodded, "Lets see if the bullet is still there and get back."

Morgan pulled out a small flashlight from his belt and shone it on the hole, "I see something." Reid handed him the gloves and tweezers and Morgan dug out the bullet. Reid had a white envelope opened waiting for him and Morgan dropped the bullet inside. He handed the tweezers back to Reid and folded up the envelope. He slid it into his back pocket.

Reid and Morgan walked back to Ashley's room, "Do you want to come in," Reid asked.

"No, I am going to personally deliver and make sure that they run ballistic tests on this."

Reid nodded his head, "Then I will see you later I guess," he said. He was about to go inside.

"One more thing," Morgan said, stopping him. Morgan reached for his wallet from his back pocket. He opened it up and pulled out a foil wrapped condom.

Reid was mortified, "Morgan, put that away."

"Kid, Reid, take it. It is for your own good," he said. Reid felt the heat burning in his face.

"You honestly think that we will be having sex now," he stammered. He could not believe that he was having this conversation and with Morgan. Even though, he knew Morgan was right, he did not have a condom and if Morgan hadn't interrupted, they wouldn't have stop. Morgan still held the foil package out for him.

"Take it," he said, pressing it into Reid's hand.

Reid went into Ashley's room, shutting the door behind him, slipping the condom into his pants pocket. He leaned against the door, rubbing his face with still felt warm.

"You alright?" He saw Ashley was now lying on her side in bed, still reading the magazine.

He sat down on the other side of the bed so there was a space in between them. He decided not to tell her about the bullet, he didn't want to worry her even more, but the condom, he thought ruefully, Nothing much honey, but Morgan gave me a condom so we can have sex right here and right now.

"Its nothing for you to worry about," he answered. He looked down at the floor, studying the tile design. He felt her shifting her weight and then he felt his hand being squeeze.

"I know that less than three days ago I told you that I wasn't ready for sex and then almost did it," she said. He looked up at her; she had moved closer and was laying her chin on his shoulder.

"The last thing, I want to do is play mind games with you." He turned his hand upward where he interlocked his fingers with hers.

"You're not, but . . ." he said, before clearing his throat. "I just don't understand." He looked at her with his innocent brown eyes.

"That night, you didn't feel obligated to stay with me in my bed when I told you what happened. You didn't feel pity. You didn't feel sorry for me. You simply wanted to be with me— you wanted to support me. I would have been honestly ok if you slept on the couch." Reid nodded, agreeing with her.

"I know when you told me about the Dillaudid, you could have told me anything else, but you didn't." He nodded yes again.

"When you held you me, I wasn't scare anymore. I felt like a weight was lifted off of me, like things were ok now." He gave a half smile, still looking down at the tile floor.

He felt her kissing on his cheek, whispering in his ear, "Next time, we have sex, it will either be at your place or mine."

"Next time?" He looked at her, where she smiled, nodding. Reid wrapped his arm around her, letting out a sigh.

"I really wanted to do this on your terms," he said. "But . . . Uhh," he started to say, trying to find the right way of saying this to her.

"You know that I know of who it is and you need me to finish the rest of the story," she said.